A Heart Means Love Arthur and Gwen AU
by LightingYourDarkness
Summary: Modern AU Seven year old Gwen Thomas and Arthur Pendragon
1. Chapter 1

Guinevere Thomas held tightly to her big brother's hand as she skipped up to the brightly colored building that morning. It seemed very big indeed, as she surveyed the outside. Bright colors, and shapes filled the glass windows in places, making it appear cheerful. A shy smile lit her pink lips. What would pre-school be like?

Her older brother, Eliyan, noticed her sudden silence and wide brown eyes, then knelt beside her. She liked the way he'd run his strong hands over her slim shoulders. It was comforting.

"Are you sure you'll be alright, Gwen? Remember what Father said. You don't have to go until next year."

Gwen stood on her tippy toes for a minute to kiss his cheek softly. She wanted to be a big girl.

"Yes, Eliyan. I'm all of seven years old, you know."

He smiled a bit, still concerned. She tended to freeze up in social situations.

"Remember what Dad said?"

Her brow knit in confusion. Her daddy had told her several things before rushing them out the door. All the excitement had made her forget most of the words.

"I…don't remember." Gwen bit her lip, scuffling her pink tennis shoes on the pavement.

Eliyan nodded, and pushed one of her stray curls from her face.

"Whenever you feel lonely, look for someone who looks more scared than you."

They were great words. She was so proud of her father. Her having a mother made their bond very close.

"I promise. I'll be alright, Eliyan." Gwen nodded her curly little head, and opened the glass door all by herself, only pausing to look back once.

It wasn't her brother she noticed. It was a little boy, with shaggy blonde hair, and tear tracks on his face. Obvious it was he did not want to be here. Compassion made her softly sigh, but she did not see him again until they were placed at tables that day.

Tear tracks still lined his pale face, and he looked nearly as though he'd be sick. It was plain that he wasn't away from home much, unlike Gwen. On the piece of paper in front of him were drawings of stars, circles, squares, and other shapes that took their places around the room.

"You're missing one." Gwen said quietly, her cheeks turning a bit pink. "Where's the heart?"

He looked confused for a moment, and stopped coloring his square blue with a crayon. "The…heart?"

"Yes!" Her brown eyes sparkled. "A heart means love." Gwen pulled a red crayon from the pack and drew one with shaky hands. It turned out a bit lumpy, but it was the best she could have done.

He smiled, and took a moment to look at it before turning his gaze towards her. "What's your name?"

Gwen giggled, putting the crayon down.  
"Guin….Guinevere. Everyone…says Gwen." It was a big name for such a small girl.

The little boy looked wistful for a moment, his blue eyes observing the heart on the page between them. "I…love….your name. I'm Arthur."

At this she laughed, only a bit, and very kindly. "Thank you!"

Arthur's blue eyes smiled as he bent down to color the heart in with a pink crayon.


	2. Chapter 2

Gwen began to love it there. Every morning, she'd run in cheerfully and without a second thought. Her older brother would be left standing mystified. What had brought this sudden change to his shy little sister?

"Arthur! Arthur?" She gasped, setting her lunch box in the cubby before sitting down at the table with her friend.

He didn't look up from where he colored a picture of pirates. It was neat, all inside the lines as well. It was unlike him to not respond to her calls.

Gwen frowned softly, grabbing a paper and pencil from the stack. When he looked up, she noticed how tired, and upset he looked. It had only been a few days ago she'd finally been able to get him cheerier. "Wanna talk about it?"

He shook his head slowly, then changed crayons. Arthur only looked up when she took it from his hand.

Gwen began to scribble down some words on her sheet of paper. '_Wanna write?_' She tossed him a crayon. Pink. The one the color of the heart that was in their drawing. It hung in the window now, for all to see.

He got the idea, and turning the pirate picture over, wrote in shaky hand '_Ok'._

She smiled, and thought for a moment before continuing. _'Why are you sad?'_

It was a rather simple reply, and he bit his lip while writing it. '_Mum and Dad fight…lots.'_

A flinch of sympathy hit her eyes, and she reached her fingers across the table to touch his empty hand. Now it made sense. Of course, he was scared of meeting new people, because the ones at home were barely ever there for him.

Her words didn't come without a voice this time, when she whispered. "I'm sorry." He was her friend, maybe the best one she'd ever had, not counting her brother. She truly wanted the best for him.

Arthur nodded, and turned his picture back to the pirates. Truth was that everyone was sorry. Even his parents said they were sorry for fighting; it didn't mean they were, and it certainly didn't mean he was deaf.

He finished the picture a few minutes later, and began to write something at the bottom. _'A heart means love. To Gwen. Love Arthur. Thanks.' _ At the end of the greeting was a little, shakily drawn heart. Arthur slid the paper across the table.

Gwen giggled, and gave it a hug. Then, letting it fall to the floor, she reached across the table and wrapped her thin arms around his shoulders.

When she'd let go, Arthur sat back down, and chose another paper from the stack, without saying a word. Picking up his pink crayon from the pile, he wrote something.

'_Wanna write?'_

Her brown eyes sparkled, and she carefully chose a blue crayon from the box. _'Wanna draw?'_


	3. Chapter 3

Guinevere Thomas slipped her feet from a pair of scuffed up, pink tennis shoes and slowly looked around the room. It was a truly grand foray. Large and luxurious - the room was like nothing she'd ever seen before. Silence filled the room, and a giggle slipped her lips.

"Hello?" So this was where Arthur lived. It was so...formal. How did he ever have any fun?

A butler came around the corner. She blinked. How very tall he was, and so very disapproving. "Miss...may I help you?"

Gwen's voice came out as a squeak. "Y-yes...I'm looking for Arthur."

Arthur came sliding down the sleek wooden floor, using his socks as skates, just before the butler got another word in edge wise. His hug tackled her to the ground. "Guinevere!"

She laughed, and tickled him gently. "Arthur! Here I am!"

He grabbed her hand, and pulled her up to his room. "Let's play!" It was obvious his mood improved simply with her presence.

Gwen picked up some blocks that stood on the floor, sat down and began to build before she started talking. "Are you feeling better?"

Arthur's shoulder's stiffened, and he shook his head, taking some blocks into his own hands.

She looked down, feeling bad that she'd said anything. "I'm sorry." The silence began to grow a bit awkward, but she reached over to take his hand. "Hey, are we allowed outside?" The girl peered out the huge window to her left.

He nodded happily, much preferring to be where his parents were not. "Yeah! Want to?"

"Ohplease?" Gwen's words were so excited that they mashed together into one.

Arthur carefully put the blocks back into the container, making her wonder why he was so careful. Then he hopped up quickly, and darted out the bedroom door. "Catch me if you can!"

"Not fair! You had a head start!" A cascade of laughter poured from her lungs as she ran after him, curls flying.

Arthur darted out into the huge, grassy garden, and picked up a branch from under a fall tree, abruptly stopping. "En garde, Lady Guinevere." A smirk decorated his face.

Gwen looked around, and chose a pinecone from by her feet and threw it at him lightly, a grin spreading her features. She wished Eliyan was bit younger. He always seemed to busy to _really_ play with her.

Arthur hit the pinecone away with his stick, and moved closer. "Com'on! You can do better."

She faked a little gasp. "Are you insulting my honor, good sir?"

He laughed. "Nope! But I know you can do better."

The sticks hit back and forth consistently for several minutes and in Arthur's mind, he saw swords. He was only hoping that she saw the same thing. Just maybe, that could mean he had a friend.


End file.
